March 2010
Lawanda
Hicks
,
RN
ICUSD
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis
Memphis
,
TN
United States
Being a Manager of any Nursing Unit has many positive moments. I am writing about one such moment.
Late in the month of January 2010, I had heard that one of the nurses on 3W spoke at one of our patient’s funeral. Of course, the person sharing the story had no idea how it came about. When I began to reason in my own mind how this happened, I came up with two possibilities. My first was that she went to church with the patient and my second was that a family member had asked her to speak at their mother’s funeral. In the end, neither of my possibilities were correct.
A few days passed and another employee and I were having a conversation about a death we had on 3W two days ago. Immediately, I remembered that the nurse who spoke at another patient’s funeral was working, so I asked her how it came about. She told me that the patient’s daughter had adopted her (the nurse) while the patient was here. We had this patient for several weeks during her hospital stay and a relationship had evolved. The nurse along with three other employees felt compelled to attend the funeral of this wonderful woman. What a testimony of this patient’s life, that even in her last days, she had a positive influence on so many lives. While at the funeral, the nurse stood and spoke of the bond she had developed with the patient and her family. She told them her first impression of the patient and how wonderful her family was, and what a great help they were to the staff, while their mother was our patient, and how thankful she was to have known their mother and her family.
What a testimony of this nurse’s compassion, love, and caring nature toward her patients and their families. To me, she is a shining example to all of us. It is because of her example that I nominate Lawanda Hicks, RN, for a Daisy award. I feel she deserves the recognition and represents the life of Patrick Barnes, who this award honors.
Late in the month of January 2010, I had heard that one of the nurses on 3W spoke at one of our patient’s funeral. Of course, the person sharing the story had no idea how it came about. When I began to reason in my own mind how this happened, I came up with two possibilities. My first was that she went to church with the patient and my second was that a family member had asked her to speak at their mother’s funeral. In the end, neither of my possibilities were correct.
A few days passed and another employee and I were having a conversation about a death we had on 3W two days ago. Immediately, I remembered that the nurse who spoke at another patient’s funeral was working, so I asked her how it came about. She told me that the patient’s daughter had adopted her (the nurse) while the patient was here. We had this patient for several weeks during her hospital stay and a relationship had evolved. The nurse along with three other employees felt compelled to attend the funeral of this wonderful woman. What a testimony of this patient’s life, that even in her last days, she had a positive influence on so many lives. While at the funeral, the nurse stood and spoke of the bond she had developed with the patient and her family. She told them her first impression of the patient and how wonderful her family was, and what a great help they were to the staff, while their mother was our patient, and how thankful she was to have known their mother and her family.
What a testimony of this nurse’s compassion, love, and caring nature toward her patients and their families. To me, she is a shining example to all of us. It is because of her example that I nominate Lawanda Hicks, RN, for a Daisy award. I feel she deserves the recognition and represents the life of Patrick Barnes, who this award honors.